Ever thought ...

German to English translation by Larry Driscoll       December 14, 2013

Note 1. The book “Message From The Pleiades 4” by Editor Wendelle C. Stevens was also used as a reference source.

Billy    … But tell me Quetzal, can you also penetrate with this old box into other dimensions?

Quetzal

    82.   Your question is not logical; what do you want to ask?

Billy    I have to wonder, whether you can also perform travels with Menara’s ship into the past and into the future?

Quetzal

83.   It is possible, but why do you ask?

84.   Whenever you ask such questions, then a certain purpose is behind them.

85.   Do you want to ask me, whether I am to undertake a travel with you into the future or into the past?

Billy    Exactly, my son.

Quetzal

86.   Sooo – … for that you reason you have taken with you this large apparatus for photographing?

Billy    Exactly, my son, but this is not such a complicated thing, as you assume, but quite simply a damn normal camera.

Quetzal

87.   That’s the same thing.

88.   However — where then do you want to go?

Billy    To Frisco, my son, to San Francisco, but into the future. Namely to that time when the city is destroyed by the earthquake.  I would be interested in how everything looks, when the first severe quake is over, and exactly this I want then also to photograph. This will surely be possible to do, won’t it? And surely it doesn’t matter, if I then also publish these photographs, if they come out well, is that okay?

Quetzal

89.   Surely there would be nothing to object against this, for thereby very many people would then leave San Francisco and settle elsewhere before the catastrophe arises.

90.   This would save very many human lives.

91.   Certainly, I do agree with this, but it requires several hours if I should take you there.

92.   This old ship in fact, and presently I have no other ship at my disposal, needs a longer time for preparation, if accordingly you are to be back here again in normal time at first dawn of the morning.

Billy    This is not too difficult, because you can bring me back here again to roughly the same time, as when you had taken me out from the bed.

2

Quetzal

93.   This would be possible.

Billy    Good, in fact, then I would still be able to sleep a little. So let us go.

Quetzal

94.   As you wish, but in the meantime we cannot have any conversation.

Billy    It makes no difference to me, let’s just go; I am strained like a string before breaking.

Quetzal

95.   So be it then.

96.   You truthfully are tireless.

…

Quetzal

97.    Here we are about 300 kilometers away from San Francisco.

98.    Down there, you see the fissures of the earth as they already exist from long ago.

99.    What you do see are the extentions of Andreas Fault which have risen up to the surface of the Earth.

Billy    Can I photograph them?

Quetzal

100.   There is nothing to object against this, but, you could also capture this scene on your film in the present time, the year 1978, because the changes are only extremely small, and not likely recognizable in the photographs.

Billy    Nevertheless, I would like to photograph them.

Quetzal

101.   Then do it.

102.   Come here, look – here this floor hatch, so as you see, after shifting the plate aside, there is freed this very fine pointed sight-plate, through which you can look outside.

103.   Through this you can photograph.

Billy   That’s all right, Quetzal, but do you know that when I take photographs from inside of the ship, they are always afterwards very fuzzy and blurred. Is there then no other way, you know, that I can perhaps, walk outside?

Quetzal

104.   You have your best overall view from above, here from out of the ship.

105.   On the other hand, this time you will get sharp and clear images on your film, because the propulsion of this ship will not harm your film by radiations.

106.   You only have to then pay attention that you do not photograph directly down through the area of the propulsion, because the very strong irradiation of light could harm your film.

107.   The smallest damage of the film could be that the finished images would appear to be lightened by a light source.

108.   In the worst case an overexposure would happen.

Billy    Is this the light, which reaches there so far downward and looks like a search light?

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Quetzal

109.   That’s correct. So then take care, that these masses of light do not reach into the area of your photograph limits

Billy    I will try it.

…

Quetzal

110    Are you at the end of your work?

Billy    I am, my son. Perhaps I still have not been careful enough regarding the light. Somehow it appeared to me, as though I would always have seen a shimmering of light in the lens.

Quetzal

111.   So try it once more.

Billy    No, let us go to Frisco first, because I have only one film with me, and besides it is only a standard negative-film.

Quetzal

112.    As you wish.

113.    Walk away from the hatch.

114.    So, – good,  it…

Billy    Man, this is indeed crazy, just look, all is smoking there in front.

Quetzal

115.   There lies San Francisco.

116.   So then, we are here, now take your photographs.

Billy    Man alive, Quetzal, this looks much worse, than I have imagined. Yet listen now: somewhere must be a building, which should be known as the America-Building or similar; so get me there. This I want to photograph above all, so that no one can come and claim that I would have taken photographs of the last great quake at the turn of the century.

Quetzal

117.   Now, we are here, my friend, but this time pay more attention to the light beam.

Billy    I will try for that.

…

Billy    Thanks Quetzal, this suffices, rush still back a little …… Good, okay — moment. … Good, now fly still a bit to the right side there — Good, okay, thanks. Man alive, this is gigantic, the horrifying destruction. … Thanks, Quetzal, I have again several photographs. This should likely be enough. So please do fly back again towards the strange bulges of the Andreas Fault.

Quetzal

118.   As you wish, but bear in mind, that we are already slowly exceeding our time and I have to make preparations for the flight back.

4

Billy    All right, Quetzal, you can start with them at once, when we are at the place. I want to see everything one more. But how so quickly a half hour passes in the future.

Quetzal

119.   The time is the same; it only seems very much shorter to you because of your attention to the  events which you have seen.

Billy    Of course, this I know. Ah, indeed, we already are here. Now just do your work.

…………

Quetzal

120.   Well, my friend, here we are again.

121.   We are here by around 30 minutes earlier, than when you had left your warm bed.